JavaScript is a programming language used on webpages to provide dynamic content; it will usually run automatically within the browser. The default for Firefox is to allow JavaScript to activate, although this can be changed in the content pane of the preferences/options window.

Hmm, ok that makes sense. I believe you, but unsure if I should delete or let one of the admins or other mods do it. If someone does decided to delete this please PM me so I know what to do in future. Thanks. And thanks Alan for info and patients with me on this. I should already have known that, but I guess I had forgotten they use to do that too. Been a while sense I seen a spam bot do that, but seems with all the mods now I rarely see spam now days to remove LOL, but that's a good thing too.

Since there's been so much discussion of the post it seems pointless to delete this thread. I have instead given madinlee the benefit of the doubt and have simply prevented the original post from being edited, which should resolve the issue. If any further questionable posts appear from the same user they will be dealt with accordingly (I would be inclined to delete the threads and ban the person who posted them).

No problem, IceDogg. Somehow the users on MozillaZine are able to sniff out spambots after they register but before they even post. Seems to be several spambots registering daily over there. It's not so bad on the NoScript forums: maybe one per day that actually registers.

Good idea, Michael. I'd forgotten about the ability to lock a post from editing since I use it so rarely. It may not prevent the bot from adding spam to the sig, but I usually prevent that by banning the user. You need to handle these things as you think best, of course.

Michael wrote:(I would be inclined to delete the threads and ban the person who posted them).

That's what we usually do on the NoScript forums. (A post like the OP would be moved to a hidden forum instead of being deleted, since it doesn't contain any obvious spam yet.) I usually smell this kind of post out and verify with a web search, like I did this time.

Alan Baxter wrote: It may not prevent the bot from adding spam to the sig, but I usually prevent that by banning the user.

I regularly check the members list for inappropriate links anyway, so I should spot any spam added through that method.

Hubird wrote:I usually delete the spam posts and ban the IP on the ABP or Fanboy forums.

On the EasyList forums the users are usually banned by the moderators and have all their inappropriate posts removed; the administrators then delete the accounts. Personally, I am against banning IP addresses (which is something that is not done here) because of their dynamic nature and because it prevents a person from starting afresh with a new account should they wish to legitimately contribute to the forums.

The reason that I did not delete the original post is because:

The question, although it is one that has simply been copied from other sites, could provide information for users.

There is no inappropriate content present at the moment and hence no reason to remove the post.

There has been so much useful discussion surrounding the post anyway that it seems pointless to delete the entire thread for the sake of one post.

However, should more questionable content appear from the same user I will reconsider the issue.

When I was first made a mod of the ABP forum Wladimir had the following to say about spam posts:

Wladimir Palant wrote:
I never use the banning capabilities of phpBB. Banning users isn't useful, they never reuse these accounts. And IP addresses are better banned on web server level, that's more efficient.

I see the logic it that but since I can't do any thing about it on a "web server level" I use the phpBB banning features.